Amersham Mayor Mimi Harker nearly missed Olympic torch relay

7:30am Thursday 12th July 2012 in Amersham Exclusive By Andy Carswell

Mimi Harker with the Olympic flame in Slough Mimi Harker with the Olympic flame in Slough

MIMI Harker almost missed her once in a lifetime chance of carrying the Olympic torch after getting lost on the way to the start line.

The Mayor of Amersham had to flag down a police officer to take her to her relay point in Slough after getting lost down a country lane.

She said: "She got me there and indicated where I was heading for. She didn't give me her name and drove off, so I want to thank her - I might have missed it if it wasn't for her."

Cllr Harker was nominated to carry the torch for her charity and community work in Amersham.

She said: "You feel incredibly humbled to be offered something like this.

"When I got dressed into my special torch-bearers' outfit I kept thinking, 'This isn't real'. I'm never going to forget it."

Reflecting on the day as a whole Cllr Harker said: "The crowd loved it. The people of Slough did the Olympic Games and the torch relay proud. They turned up in their thousands. There were people everywhere you looked - on railings, on roofs, walls, in trees, everywhere.

"They showed such passion and excitement and that made us respond to them, and they responded to us even more."

Comments(8)

Stalemate says...
12:33pm Thu 12 Jul 12

Seeing as Mimi was nominated to carry the torch for her charity work, will she be auctioning the torch on Ebay and giving all the proceeds to charity, or keeping it herself?

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LoggedOn says...
12:43pm Thu 12 Jul 12

Stalemate wrote:
Seeing as Mimi was nominated to carry the torch for her charity work, will she be auctioning the torch on Ebay and giving all the proceeds to charity, or keeping it herself?
Keeping it I would hope. She was given the opportunity to carry the torch for her charity work, but why would you expect her to auction it off for the charity. Do celebrities etc who get knighted for services etc auction of the medal from the Queen?? I dont think so.
Keep it and show it proudly I would hope.

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Stalemate says...
1:52pm Thu 12 Jul 12

Good point LoggedOn. Do you think if she did decide to sell it though she would give the money to charity, or pocket the wedge herself?

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J B Blackett says...
2:58pm Thu 12 Jul 12

You have to buy the torch you want to carry in the first place , don't cha know ?
.
And it's not flaming cheap either I can tell you.
.
I do wish we were all a bit more thoughtful , considerate and magnanimous towards others.

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Stalemate says...
3:08pm Thu 12 Jul 12

OK, here's a compromise....sell it on Ebay, buy a satnav, and hand the rest to charity....everyone'
s a winner.

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Mr Vegas says...
4:12pm Thu 12 Jul 12

She's not bad for 60 odd.
---
"The people of Slough did the Olympic Games and the torch relay proud. They turned up in their thousands. There were people everywhere you looked - on railings, on roofs, walls, in trees, everywhere"
Sounds like a cricket match in India. Slough gets more like it everyday!

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peesh64 says...
7:07pm Thu 12 Jul 12

She managed to get lost ? Go figure.

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J B Blackett says...
2:46am Fri 13 Jul 12

peesh64 wrote:
She managed to get lost ? Go figure.
It got quite dark. She should have taken a torch with her.

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